The French capital Paris hosts on Monday a meeting of the 'Coalition of the Willing' with at least 25 heads of state and government, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, aimed at reaffirming support for Kyiv and increasing pressure on Russia, according to the Élysée.

The French presidency said the summit of the coalition, which France and the United Kingdom launched in February 2025, will focus on pushing for a ceasefire and resuming peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.

It noted that the summit, which coincides with the traditional military parade for the French national holiday on July 14 on the Champs-Élysées, represents 'a moment of strong transatlantic rapprochement and unity' and also reflects 'an improvement in the situation on the ground' for Kyiv.

An adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the meeting 'will strengthen the existing momentum to reaffirm the continued commitment of Ukraine's allies to support it, and prove that fatigue or withdrawal of supporters is not an option, and that Moscow should not count on it.'

For its part, the Kremlin described the Paris summit on Ukraine as a gathering of leaders 'who do not want peace,' stressing that Moscow will follow its proceedings 'closely.'

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it is 'a coalition of war-mongers,' accusing its members of seeking 'to continue the war.'

He added, 'These are countries that take hostile actions against Russia, so we will closely monitor what is happening.'

U.S. President Donald Trump, who sought to maintain relations with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin while directing scattered criticism at both Moscow and Kyiv, indicated during the G7 summit in France last month and the NATO summit in Turkey this week his readiness to provide greater support to Ukraine.

Washington last week advanced a bipartisan bill targeting countries that import Russian energy, paving the way for increased pressure on Moscow.

Multinational Force

Coalition leaders will focus particularly on cooperation with Ukraine in 'air defense and ballistic missile defense,' including Kyiv's production of weapons on its soil.

French officials said the summit will announce the readiness of the 'Multinational Force for Ukraine,' which is supposed to begin its tasks as soon as fighting ends.

Dates for joint military exercises are also expected to be set, according to Macron.

France and Britain launched the 'Coalition of the Willing' aimed at supporting Ukraine and providing it with security guarantees, notably through deploying ground troops once a peace agreement is reached. It includes 35 countries, mostly European, and Moldova and North Macedonia will join on Monday, according to the Élysée.

The coalition does not include the United States, which ruled out sending American ground troops to Ukraine, although it said it would participate in monitoring any future ceasefire.

For their part, France, Britain, and Spain have declared their readiness to send troops to Ukraine, despite Moscow's warnings that any foreign forces would be 'legitimate targets' for it.

While a ceasefire remains a distant prospect, Ukraine's air defenses face increasing pressure from intense Russian strikes.

Washington gave Kyiv a green light this month to produce Patriot air defense systems on its soil, but starting production may take several months.

Zelensky renewed his call on his country's allies to provide more military aid to help it face the Russian invasion, now in its fifth year.

British Sanctions on Russia

Separately, Britain announced today a new package of sanctions targeting Russian cyber networks, which it accuses of trying to spread chaos and divisions across Europe.

The British government said in a statement: 'The measures announced today target 24 individuals and entities behind cyber and hybrid operations using traditional and digital means aimed at sabotage, including criminals committing illegal acts online and those involved in proxy networks linked to Russian intelligence agencies.'

It added: 'This includes imposing sanctions on senior leaders of the Russian military intelligence (GRU), namely Vyacheslav Staviev, Ivan Senin, and Ivan Kasyanenko, for their role in directing cyber and hybrid threat operations.'

The Russian embassy in London has yet to comment. Britain announced the sanctions in coordination with the European Union.